Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently in the Middle East, preparing for the new season. The Greek champion had the fantastic opportunity to be in the box of Max Verstappen when he won the Formula One title after he overtook Lewis Hamilton in the last dramatic lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Stefanos was literally on fire after Max won the title and during a Q&A session on Twitter he explained why.
“It was pure epicness. It was a historical moment, in a way. Like it still gives me chills. There was a lot of pressure. I would have never expected, not in a million years, that I would feel as much pressure as every single team member of Red Bull that night.
I was shocked that I was feeling so much because I obviously don’t know Max very well. I’ve watched him compete. I’ve watched him race for many years now. ”
Then, he explained why he got so passionate about Formula 1. Everything started when he watched a fascinating documentary on Netflix
“After watching ‘Drive to Survive’, I became a huge Formula One fan. I did watch a little bit before that. I became really obsessed with that. But I would have never imagined that I would be so thrilled. And so supportive of a stranger that I’d never met before,” he said.
Finally, Tsitsipas drew some comparisons with his sport. Of course, there is a lot of emotions in tennis, but in Formula 1 there is an added spice for the intensity of the competition.
“Just the energy and the atmosphere is so much different from what I do. Of course in my sport there’s a lot of adrenaline and emotion, but just the speed and the intensity of that sport is incredible.”
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021
Ranked no.4, Tsitsipas played his last match on the 15th of November when he was overcome by world no.5 Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-4 in the round robin in the Nitto ATP Finals (draw).
This year the Greek has achieved a 55-19 win-loss record. The Greek clinched 2 titles in 2021 in Monte-Carlo and in Lyon. Tsitsipas was the finalist in Acapulco, in Barcelona and at the French Open.